It Began with Potatoes

Marcus Aurelius’s primer to Stoicism is good. Like really, really good. Somewhere between philosophy and psychology, Meditations is a recommendation to a lifestyle of productivity and internal peace. I’ll give you an example of one my favorite quotes:   “How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbor says or […]

Here’s my youtube channel: [Youtube link] For all you GBO students, the video will be up by tomorrow morning. 🙂 Your friend, Joseph

Brassica oleracea. Kale, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens… they all pay homage to their ancestor Brassica oleracea. [1] Cultivated broadly throughout history, from the plains of Mesopotamia, to the fertile expanses of the Nile, the humble cabbage has stolen the hearts of travelers through history. The root, Oleracea, ties together her children, all the plentiful cultivars of Brassica oleracea. You might […]

Hey all! Just a quick update. I just wanted to write a bit today and put something out on the blog for y’all. I’ve recently read the New Yorker article: “Questions for Me About Dying” by Cory Taylor that you can read here. [1] Author of Me and Mr. Booker, My Beautiful Enemy, and Dying: A Memoir, her writing combines […]

Where did the love go? More and more often, as I find myself caught up in the race that pre-meds succumb to, I have found myself asking the question: Where did the love go? When I mean the love, I don’t mean an emotional outpour, I mean the support in the little things in life. […]

Today is the day I claim the name: “Mr. Bacteria”. Today is also the day that marks the beginning of this series. I want it to be fun and exciting and my goal is to share the excitement and disappointments that come along with studying these inscrutable microorganisms. I googled the name “Mr. Bacteria” and […]

By: Joseph Maa Date: 5/25/2017 Why can’t researchers do research and have professors just teach? It’s a natural question that exists at all research institutions, with Berkeley as no exception. It’s a problem that frustrates both students and professors to no end: researchers are increasingly subjected to higher and higher demands on their time, while students […]